It’s definitely easy to eat ethic food when you’re plant-based! For this roundup, we’ve gathered some of our best plant-based African recipes from Nigeria, Ethiopia, North Africa, Morocco, and South Africa! If you’re a huge fan of African cuisine or you’ve always wanted to try it out, these recipes are for you! Don’t forget to check out these and many more plant-based recipes on our Food Monster App!
Nigeria
1. Benju: Nigerian Coconut Cookie
Source: Beju: Nigerian Coconut Cookies
Bejus, a type of of coconut cookie widely known in Nigeria, also seem to be common in the northeast of Brazil under the name bijus or tapioquinhas. Over there, these cookies include various fillings such as dulce de leche, jam, compote or butter. In Nigeria, these cookies are made with only three ingredients: cassava root, coconut, and sugar. These Beju: Nigerian Coconut Cookies from Mike Benayounis a dessert that will even appeal to gluten and grain intolerant people, as it contains no wheat flour.
2. Akara: Nigerian Fried Bean Balls
Source: Akara: Nigerian Fried Bean Balls
Akara are deep-fried bean fritters, popular in West African countries and Brazil. Black-eyed peas are the most common choice of bean for this crispy snack, but other beans, each with their own flavor or texture, can be experimented with until you find your favorite. TheseAkara: Nigerian Fried Bean Balls from Mike Benayoun can be enjoyed as a snack or appetizer with a side of savory sauce for dipping and they’re best served while still fresh and crispy.
3. Nigerian Ratatouille
Source: Nigerian Ratatouille
This Nigerian Ratatouille from Tomi Makanjuolaisn’t your classic ratatouille! The classic Provencal dish has been reinvented with Nigerian flavors like subtly sweet plantains and a chunky sauce made from bell peppers, tomatoes, and spices. You’re welcome.
Ethiopia
1. Ethiopian Pumpkin Stew
Source: Ethiopian Pumpkin Stew
This Ethiopian Pumpkin Stew from Marina Yanay-Trineris rich with flavor and color! Quinoa is extremely nutrient rich, and makes a great base for this recipe. Enjoy this dish as a stew on its own, or on top of store-bought injera bread.
2. Ingera: Ethiopian Sourdough Bread
Source: Injera: Ethiopian Sourdough Bread
Ethiopians have food figured out. That’s the truth. What’s not to love? You make some amazing, magical spongy bread, top it with all kinds of spicy multi-colored vegan food, and eat it with your hands. Point for the dishwasher right there. It’s fun, social, different, and, really, just plain cool. So get some of your buddies over, lay out a big ol’ plate covered in spicy delectables, and go for it. Enjoy this Injera: Ethiopian Sourdough Bread from Travis Piper.
3. Ethiopian Sweet Potato Burger
Source: Ethiopian Sweet Potato Burger
These Ethiopian Sweet Potato Burger from Zsu Deverare something special. They’re made from deliciously spiced patties with the addition of an aioli inspired by nitter kibbeh, also known as Ethiopian butter. If that isn’t enough to make you want to drop everything and make these burgers right now, a spice-infused oil weaves its magic through the burger and right into the sauce. Ginger, garlic, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, paprika, and cayenne will fill your kitchen with a hypnotic aroma.
North Africa
1. Slow Cooker North African Couscous
Source: Slow Cooker North African Couscous
Root vegetables are dominant in African cuisine. Add that to the spicy laden flavors of North Africa and you get some really good food. North African Couscous is rich in flavors and so easy to prepare. Vegetables and spices go in the crock pot. At dinner, serve Slow Cooker North African Couscous from Ginny McMeans.
2. Red Bean Patty Wraps with North African Chermoula
Source: Red Bean Patty Wraps With North African Chermoula Sauce
These savoryRed Bean Patty Wraps With North African Chermoula Sauce from Florian Nouhcombine the flavors of a traditional North African spice mixture with a gluten-free red bean patty. It combines the flavors of a traditional North African spice mixture with a vegan and gluten-free cakes. Herbs are the main ingredient of chermoula, a marinade used prominently in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria. Parsley, cilantro, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemon, and other seasonings bring a fresh flavor, making chermoula the perfect marinade for warmer weather.
3. Chachouka Chow Chow: North African Tomato and Pepper Stew
Source: Chachouka Chow Chow: North African Tomato and Pepper Stew
Try this Chachouka Chow Chow: North African Tomato and Pepper Stew from Clémence Moulaert!Warming spices, tender, juicy peppers, the colours of Africa on your plate. Your house will smell of cumin for hours after you’ve had the last bite of your chachouka.
Morocco
1. Moroccan Chili
Source: Moroccan Chili
Looking for a new way to enjoy your favorite comfort foods? In Moroccan Chili from Maggie Jones, North African spices give a unique twist to chili. Sweet potato and chickpeas are the perfect ingredients for absorbing the fragrant spices and juices from stewed tomatoes.
2. Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad
Source: Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad
The words potatoes salad don’t seem to generate a lot of excitement but that being said – this Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad from Taylor Kiseris making our hearts race. The tender chunks of sweet potato are covered in roasted pistachios, chopped cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, a pinch of fresh mint, and then finished with a creamy cashew dressing that has the lemony perfume of Moroccan spices which make this salad truly unique.
3. Harcha: Fried Moroccan Flatbread
Source: Harcha: Fried Moroccan Flatbread
Harcha, which literally means “rough” in Arabic, is a semi-sweet Morrocan bread. This Harcha: Fried Moroccan Flatbread from Mike Benayoun is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and extremely hard to stop eating. It is simple, easy, and delicious.
South Africa
1. Bunny Chow: South African Curry in a Bread Bowl
Source: Bunny Chow: South African Curry in a Bread Bowl
Bunny chow is a South African street food that traditionally consists of a meat-based curry served in bread. This completely plant-based Bunny Chow: South African Curry in a Bread Bowl from Pavani Nandulaismade with hearty spiced chickpeas and potatoes instead. As for the name, it has nothing to do bunnies or rabbits. It originated in Durban, South Africa and is said to have been made by the Indian banias who migrated there. This is the perfect, comforting meal on a budget to keep you warm during the colder months.
2. South African Milk Tart
Source: South African Milk Tart
This milk tart is a traditional South African comfort food and is usually served chilled as a dessert or afternoon tea treat. This South African Milk Tart from Taryn Fitz-Geraldhas a stiff consistency, somewhat similar to Panna Cotta, but thicker. Usually, this milk tart’s thick consistency is achieved using corn starch or egg whites, however, as this recipe proves, arrowroot powder works as a viable alternative.
3. Cape Malay Curry with Turmeric Cinnamon Rice
Source: Cape Malay Curry With Turmeric Cinnamon Rice
Savor the flavors of South Africa without ever leaving your kitchen! This Cape Malay Curry With Turmeric Cinnamon Rice from Rhea Parsonsis spicy, but not hot, and the sweetness of the apricot preserves only serves to balance everything out. Adding turmeric and cinnamon to the rice takes everything to the next level. Any vegetables are suited to this stew.
African cuisine offers amazing food that is spicy, flavorful, and that smells amazing. These dishes are sure to please anyone you have over. If you’re a fan of African recipes and need some more dishes to make, go ahead and Take a Trip Through Africa With These 14 Vegan Recipes!
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